The subject matter of the invention is a method for turning and relaxing springs pressed into a block and applied in a spring pocket row.
The subject-matter of the invention is a method for turning and relaxing springs pressed into a block and applied in a spring pocket row, according to the introductory part of claim 1. The subject-matter is further a device for turning and relaxing springs pressed into a block and applied in a spring pocket row, according to the introductory part of claim 3.
Springs for the manufacture of mattresses, cushioned furniture, cushions and likewise may be connected to one another in various manners in order in the connected condition to be covered over with cover materials and a case material. With the present invention it is the case of springs which are applied in rows in textile pockets of cotton material or fleece, so-called spring pocket rows, these spring pocket rows later being mutually connected to one another, e.g., by way of ultrasound are welded or adhesed. After the manufacture of the springs on a spring winding machine these in the axial direction are pressed together to a block, i.e., the spring windings bear completely on one another. In this pressed-together form there is effected the insertion into the spring pocket row which mostly consists of cotton material band or fleece band folded between its longitudinal edges. Before or after the insertion then between the springs coming to lie in a row pressed together there are incorporated or seamed linear weldings so that there arise individual pocket sections. After insertion of the springs the free edges of the pocket material are connected to one another. The pocketed springs then more or less lie held pressed together within the pocket sections or the spring pocket row and for the further processing must be relocated 90xc2x0 so that they may be least partly relaxed and may assume the usage height.
From EP-A1 0 967 031 there is known a device with which the pocketed, pressed-together springs within the pocket section may be relocated and relaxed. With this known device the spring pocket row along a longitudinal edge of the pocket material is held by a clamping device. Thereafter each individual spring by a propeller-like wing whose horizontally lying axis is arranged above the pressed-together spring is seized by a wing end and the above-lying end ring of the spring is displaced parallel to the seams forming the pocket sections. By way of this the spring may be partly relaxed. As soon as the upper end winding with respect to the lower, stationary end ring has reached a certain distance the spring turns by itself and its axis then lies in the horizontal, i.e. parallel to the weld seams between the individual pocket sections. In another formation of the known device in place of a propeller there is a push finger which is traversable transverse to the spring pockets and which likewise seizes the pressed-together springs at their upper end ring and thus laterally displaces them until the spring by way of the intrinsic tension force turnes by 90xc2x0. A further possibility of setting up the springs is a rotating worm whose thread turns achieve the same effect.
The known devices fulfill their object perfectly as long as all movements and the mutual position of the push finger and spring are exactly coordinated to one another and the spring furthermore is not manufactured of a thin wire. Even if for any reason the relocating (in technical language also called setting-up) of the spring is not effected straight away, the spring remains in the initial position and must subsequently be relocated by hand. This makes a perfect method procedure impossible. Furthermore with the rotating worm there exists the danger of damage to the pocket material.
The object of the present invention is the creation of a method and a device for relocating pocketed springs which ensure that all springs in the pocket sections after running through the device assume the desired position.
This object is achieved by a method with the features of patent claim 1 as well as with a device with the features of patent claim 3.
With the method according to the invention and the device according to the invention one succeeds in a perfect turning of the springs by way of the fact that each spring moves into the active region of the rod with which the spring is set up, not only once but several times. At the same time it is not important whether the spring lies exactly in the middle of the pocket section or not. It is also not important which geometric shape the end rings have. If in the spring pocket rows there are present empty pockets whose width may be unequal to the filled pockets, by way of these position displacements there occur no problems on setting up the springs in the neighboring pockets. Furthermore damage to the pocket material may be prevented since the rod laterally seizes the spring and there are always exerted only the forces necessary for the turning, these being distributed over a large surface onto the springs and onto the textile pocket material lying between the spring and the rod. The method may be retrospectively installed into existing pocket spring machines and has only a few parts which are maintenance-free and which may be adapted to the springs to be machined with little effort. With conventional devices with push fingers the drive of the latter may be directly used for the drive of the push rod. A retrofitting is possible with little effort.